The action is crackling and Madhuri looks great, going from dhak-dhak to thak-thak with a big stick. Alongside, Juhi shines with malicious pleasure as Sumitra Madam ji whose ambition - to become raja from patrani - is ferocious.

Chawla makes you cringe as she wreaks revenge on anyone who crosses her, the actor getting into her role with lip-licking gusto. But the dramatic tension simply doesn't hold.

Every time there's a face-off between Rajjo and Madam ji, a diversion - a song, a character cracking a joke, guns fired - occurs, breaking the build-up.

There are too many tangents, navels and nose-rings, diverting focus from Rajjo, the story's driving force. Instead of knowing how and why she becomes the tigress of Madhavpur, we're given mellifluous songs, intercut with soon-repetitive scenes of exploitation.

Considering the subject's intense power and the charisma of these stars, the movie's hesitation with how to proceed stands out. At one point, Rajjo asks a woman, "Soch soch ke kaahi maarte ho?"